Why government buildings should go green first

Government buildings should be among the first to save energy, not the last. That’s not a controversial idea. It should be standard practice, and it’s well within reach.

There have been a few reminders over the years that we’re not quite there yet. In 2013, the Commission on Audit found that 180 congressmen had not accounted for P178.49 million worth of energy-saving light bulbs meant for their constituents.

Two years later, Manila’s electricity bills jumped 40 percent, partly linked to streetlights allegedly staying on during the day. A 1989 law requiring water wells and rainwater collectors in every barangay–later expanded to cover government, commercial, and residential buildings–is still followed by only a few institutions.

These cases point to the same gap: without regular monitoring, energy and water use in public buildings tends to drift out of view until an audit, or a spike in a bill, brings it back to attention.

Government buildings are more than just workplaces. They show, in a direct way, how public funds are handled day to day.

There’s already movement in the right direction. The government wants to cut power and fuel use by 10 to 20 percent by 2026 under its Government Energy Management Program.

The good news is, the government doesn’t have to look far for a model of how to build that kind of culture. One already exists close to home and it just marked its 26th year.

What the ASEAN Energy Awards can teach us

When the ASEAN Energy Awards began in 2000 as a modest, three-category program, I was then a member of the board of judges.

Twenty six years later, it has grown into something much bigger: eight award categories in 2026, covering everything from energy-efficient and green buildings to individual leadership, and, notably, a youth category that pulls the next generation of energy professionals into the conversation.

The growth in participation tells its own story. In 2025 alone, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Awards drew 68 entries across the region in the buildings categories–28 for Energy Efficient Buildings, 13 for Green Building, and 27 for Energy Management–while the ASEAN Energy Youth Awards received 384 submissions from young people across Southeast Asia.

What started as a small recognition program is now a regional pipeline of proven, replicable ideas.

Incidentally, the Philippines will host the next ASEAN Energy Awards as part of the 44th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and the 26th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-26) in 2026. This is a rare front-row seat to see up close what its neighbors are doing well.

The Awards also reward substance over a single number. Energy savings is one scored category, but it sits alongside design quality, energy management, and environmental impact, reviewed by a panel of judges over two rounds–a far more thorough standard than a flat percentage target.

It’s a model built on recognition rather than penalty, which is exactly the kind of incentive government buildings could use.

Government buildings should set the example

Buildings paid for with public money are a natural place to lead on energy efficiency, not lag behind it.

Private developers already compete for green certifications like LEED or EDGE because tenants and investors ask for it. Government buildings don’t feel that same pressure, since no tenant can walk away from a public hospital or municipal hall. The kind of pressure that could work here is public visibility–simply making the data available.

Singapore offers a workable model: it publishes energy efficiency figures for hundreds of commercial buildings, so anyone can see how one compares to another.

The Philippines doesn’t yet have an equivalent for its own government buildings. Building that kind of public dashboard would turn energy efficiency into something buildings compete on, rather than something we only hear about after an audit.

Beyond electricity

The same opportunity extends to water and materials.

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Chronic leaks, materials patched instead of properly replaced, and insulation that makes airconditioners work harder than necessary all add up over time.

At its core, this is about what our public buildings communicate. A government building that runs efficiently sends a clear, positive signal: that public institutions hold themselves to the same standards expected of everyone else.

Three things that could help

Publish the results, not just the audits. How much energy each government building uses, per square meter, per year, could be made public information–the same way Singapore already does it.

Lower the threshold for green building compliance. The Philippine Green Building Code currently applies mainly to large new construction. Extending clear efficiency standards to public buildings of any size would close an easy gap.

Make citizens part of the process. If a public building is running efficiently–or isn’t–the people paying for it should have an easy way to see that and ask questions.

This is all about building the kind of visibility that makes good practice the default, not the exception. When any organization tracks and reports its resource use well, it tends to use it better.

The tools to do this already exist, and the region has just spent 26 years proving what works, through the ASEAN Energy Awards.

What’s left is putting that same energy and that same standard into our own government buildings, starting now.

The author is the principal architect of A. P. DE Jesus & Associates – Green Architecture. For comments or inquiries, email amadodejesus@gmail.com